Destiny
by hippiechic
Summary: How did an unknown young peasant become the chief strategist for the kingdom of Wu, anyway? This story follows Zhou Yu and Sun Ce through their childhoods.


Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Koei. Therefore, I do not own anything related to _Dynasty Warriors_ and can, nor will I, make any money on any characters or events portrayed in the _Dynasty Warriors_ series of games. I will however, continue to max out all my favorite characters while playing for hours on end, losing all sense of time and thoroughly enjoying feeding my addiction.

A/N: Well, it seems I have written my first _Dynasty Warriors_ fic. I really love the games and when this idea came to me while I was trying to wake up and get ready for work, it was too vivid to be turned away. I hope you all enjoy. By the way, I did not include any yaoi in this story. I know a lot of people believe Zhou Yu to be a little too intimate with Sun Ce, but I portrayed them as the best friends the game says they actually are. Also, I included their approximate ages (mostly pulled out of my head) for each section at the end of the story. So, if you get too lost due to not knowing their age, just check down there. Yet another note, this story have a rather romantic, American feel to it. I know all too well, a scenario like this could not and would not have happened in ancient China, but wouldn't be great if it did?

Part I: Hide-And-Seek

"Ce! You better find a place to hide and quick!" a boy of about six years of age called out to the young lord, Sun Ce.

Frowning, Sun Ce once again looked around himself. No matter which direction he looked, all the available hiding spots were taken. The entire hill seemed to have boys hidden everywhere. How could there have been so many as to cover all the land on this hill? Well, Ce knew one thing for sure: they were not going to be playing hide-and-seek on this hill again. If there was one thing he could not stand, it was losing.

Still unable to find a suitable hiding spot, Ce gazed down the road which led back to town, his homeland's capitol, his home, and stamped his foot angrily just before he heard the sound of someone slowly coming up the road behind him. There was nothing left to do but sigh, which is exactly what Ce did. He was caught. Sun Ce, son of the great Sun Jian, was going to be "it" in the next round.

"My Lord, is something the matter? You look as if you lost something important," a kind, steady voice of another, slightly older youngster sounded from behind the young lord, Sun Ce.

Ce blinked in confusion as he began to turn. The voice he had heard was not that of Ho, the seeker for this round, but that of a complete stranger, the bowing one now before him. "Well, um…not exactly," Sun Ce stammered, not quite sure how he should act as the boy never lifted from his bow. Only on rare occasions were commoners ever in the vicinity of the young lord, and even then, they were adults, not young boys, who once you removed the dirt from their faces and changed their rags into real clothing, did not seem so very different from the young lord himself.

After taking a moment to look the boy up and down and feeling his confidence return as he gained a handle on the situation, Ce spoke again. "You know, you can stop bowing now. I can't see your face."

Giving a slight nod of recognition, the other boy hesitantly lifted his face, his bright, intelligent eyes surveying Lord Sun Ce through the matted hair falling around his face. Seeing the rich silks adoring the other boy suddenly made the peasant suddenly feel self-conscious about his own rags.

"You asked if I had lost something," Ce took charge of the conversation, as was his style. No matter what Sun Ce was doing, he had to be the best, in charge at all times.

"Yes, my Lord," the other boy answered. "I was going to offer to help."

Frowning, Sun Ce looked around again, realizing any moment now Ho was going to find him. "I didn't lose anything," Ce heard himself explain before he looked the other boy over once again. "We were playing a game where everyone hides from someone and then that person tries to find us all. And, well-…all the good hiding spots are taken."

As Ce watched, the other boy's intelligent eyes slowly took in their surroundings before his gaze settled on a single tree amid the many others. "Have you thought about climbing up that tree right there?" The boy pointed toward a tree with several low-hanging branches well within such a young boy's reach, yet was very thick with branches further up its trunk.

Turning, Sun Ce shook his head as he inspected the tree. "I hadn't thought of that. No one's ever hidden in a tree before," he mused to himself. "I guess that's probably because hiding in a tree is silly," Ce finally scoffed at the other boy's suggestion.

"Or perhaps, my Lord, since no one has ever hidden in a tree, no one would ever think to look in one."

After giving the tree yet another critical look, Sun Ce nodded. "I'm going to try it!"

"I do suggest, you might want to hurry. Your friend is coming," the poor boy once again offered his counsel.

With a nod, Ce replied, "Alright," before quickly scaling the bent mimosa to watch his advisor continue down the road and wait for Ho to find him.

Sun Ce did have to admit, watching his friend Ho search for all the other boys in their group and successfully finding each one, other than Ce that is, gave him a most rewarding feeling. Once again, Sun Ce, future leader of the Sun family and the kingdom of Wu, was victorious! No one could match him at the game of Hide-And-Seek.

When Ho had found the last of the boys, other than the Lord's son, he and the others began a fervent search. The penalty for losing the kingdom's heir was not well known to most, but few were eager to find out the hard way.

Before all his friends could disperse, Ce quickly climbed down from his high perch and after leaping the last few feet to the ground, tore off at a dead run for the city, leaving the other boys completely baffled by his haste.

As Ce neared the city walls, he caught sight of his target. The boy from earlier was still walking along at a steady pace, about to enter the city's walls. Taking a deep breath, Ce called out to him, "You! Boy! Stop!"

After hearing Sun Ce's cries, the youngster froze and slowly turned around to see who was yelling for him. As soon as he recognized the young lord, the boy once again dropped into a deeply respectful bow.

Ce could not help the sigh that came from his lips as the boy once again bowed to him. "I finally-…caught you," Ce panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes, it seems so," the slender boy replied with his eyes still downcast along with his head.

"You can stop bowing now," Ce reminded the other youth. "And tell me, what made you think of hiding in the tree? It worked! No one could find me!"

Lifting his eyes, the peasant shrugged lightly. "I was just looking around, and it came to me. That's how things like that happen."

"So, you think of hiding places?" Sun Ce questioned.

"No," the other shook his head. "In the village, we play games of war or hunting. I just see how to win."

"You always win?"

The boy shrugged modestly. "Most of the time."

Sun Ce paused for a moment as he looked the other boy up and down. "You know my name, Sun Ce, but I don't know your name. What is it?"

"My name is Zhou Yu, my Lord."

Part 2: The Hunter and the Hunted

Gazing at lazy clouds in the sky, Zhou Yu could not help but to sigh. It was very typical for his lord and friend, Sun Ce, to send him notice that he urgently needed to see him and then be excessively late to their meeting. Sun Ce never was one to be restrained, even by time itself.

Then again, Zhou Yu did not have the demands on his time his friend did. Sure, he had been unofficially adopted over the years by the ruling family of his kingdom of Wu, but no one intended for him to ever rule. Zhou Yu's days were to be spent, as ordered by Sun Jian himself, studying politics and the art of war. The boy's talents of perception and the ability to outthink opponents had escaped no one's notice.

Sun Ce, on the other hand, had functions to attend, policies to learn as well as the normal education for any aristocratic young man, including horsemanship and the martial arts.

Was Yu jealous of his friend? By no means. The opportunity of an education, given to him by his association with the young lord was so far above and beyond anything he might have had on his own. Even had his talents been noticed by a scholarly monk, there simply would not have been the finances to pay for such an education. No, without Sun Ce's help and Lord Sun Jian's favor, Zhou Yu would be working long hours beneath a hot sun in the rice patties his village so carefully tended. Besides, Yu was never one enticed by power to take on more than he could handle. It simply was not in his character.

As Yu's mind continued to ponder how differently his life might have been had he only gone to town early in the morning as he was told that day seven years ago when he met Sun Ce, his ears noticed the sound of pounding feet hitting the stone walkway, heading toward the bench on which he sat.

Looking up from his downcast, thoughtful position and toward the maker of the noise, Yu saw Sun Ce jogging toward him, a grin plastered across his friend's face.

"I see your classes did end early today, as you expected," Zhou Yu called in greeting as he stood and bowed to his friend. While Sun Ce often times fussed at Yu, telling him there was no reason to bow when among friends; Yu could not seem to shake the habit. After all the Sun family had done for him, a show of respect was the least he could do in return.

"No," Ce laughed. "I did just what you said and snuck away. You know, this time I don't think they're going to notice for quite a while. You're a genius."

Yu laughed modestly. "I wouldn't go that far, but if you observe long enough, you learn something about people and their habits. It's really not that difficult."

Laughing, Ce shook his head, "I think I'll just leave strategies to you."

"So, what was the emergency you wrote to me about?" Zhou Yu moved the conversation along.

Grinning, Ce replied, "I'll have to show you."

"Show me what?"

"Yu! You talk to too much!" Sun Ce laughed as he began to walk hurriedly away toward the garden.

"You still haven't told me what's going on!" Yu called as he hurried to follow the young lord.

"You'll see!" Ce could not keep himself from smiling broadly as he thought of the surprise laid in store for his best friend.

Realizing the conversation was going no farther until Ce so wished, Yu simply kept his peace as he accompanied his friend on a fast paced trek across the palace.

Realizing he was in a good spot to view almost the entire garden, Sun Ce finally stopped and turned to face his friend.

"Are you ready to tell me what this is all about now," Yu questioned, "why you suddenly wanted me to meet you?"

"Well," Ce got a very mischievous look in his eyes, "they're the reason." He glanced over Yu's shoulder, nodding his head in the direction.

Glancing over his shoulder, Yu caught sight of two girls dressed in gowns of the finest silk, their faces covered by ornate fans, eyes glowing and hair pulled back in elaborate fashions.

As he turned back to face Ce, Yu noticed his friend was still staring at the girls. "My Lord, staring is rude. You will make them feel uncomfortable."

"They should be proud to have the future ruler of Wu staring at them," Ce replied stubbornly.

"My Lord! You treat me, a commoner, as your brother, yet you are rude to those born well above my station? You can not have it both ways."

"You can't take a joke, can you?" Ce lifted a brow as he finally turned his gaze from the girls to his friend. "Anyway, do you know who those girls are?"

After giving Sun Ce a confused look, Zhou Yu shook his head. "No, I haven't heard anything about them."

"Those, my friend," Sun Ce grinned broadly, "are the Qiao sisters."

"The Qiao sisters?"

"Yes, the Qiao sisters, Yu. Remember, the most beautiful young girls in all the land, the ones who flowers pale in comparison. Those Qiao sisters," Ce explained.

Zhou Yu frowned slightly at Sun Ce. "I know who the Qiaos are, but what are they doing here?"

"Well," Ce could not stop a proud grin, "Father set up an arranged marriage. I'm going to marry the older sister, Da, in a few weeks."

"What!" Yu's eyes widened in surprise. "You didn't tell me anything about that!"

"Shh," Ce quickly calmed his friend while glancing to make sure the rise in their voices had not scared the two girls away. "Nothing was set in stone until they arrived earlier today. I didn't want to tell anyone until then."

Taking a deep breath, Yu nodded. "I understand. Now, why did you send word earlier that you needed my assistance? You could have mentioned all this later this afternoon."

"Yes, I could've," Ce agreed as he glanced at the young girls once more before turning pleading eyes toward his older friend. "Yu, I wanted you to help me make a good impression. If I'm going to marry her, I'd kinda like her to-…well, like me."

Zhou Yu looked his friend in the eyes for a moment before giving him a small smile. "I believe this is the first time I've seen you act shyly since we met, Sun Ce."

Blushing, Sun Ce glared at Yu. "Well, Da's younger sister, Xiao, has made no arrangements for marriage, if that helps at all."

After looking at his friend for another moment, Zhou Yu turned to look at the young girls behind him before looking back to Sun Ce once again. "All right then. I will help you.

"Approach them like you would a kitten, with confidence, but be sure not to act arrogantly. Ask them questions about themselves and compliment them sincerely. That is how to win a woman's favor," Zhou Yu confidently gave his lord guidance. "At least, that's what I have read," he added softly.

"All right then!" Sun Ce grinned. With a strategy now in mind, he gave his friend a hearty slap on the back before the pair approached the blushing young maidens.

Part III: Brothers in Arms

Walking down the twisting paths of the cherry orchard, Sun Ce could not help but remember just how long it had been since he had last played within their confines. It seemed odd how one day he had been just a kid, playing games and skipping classes, then suddenly, here he was – an adult.

As he walked, Ce could not help but think of the best memories in his life. Most were of his family, of course. Being a big brother was one of Ce's greatest joys; he dearly loved his younger sister, Shang Xiang, and brother, Quan. Whenever things were too stressful, he could always count on them to provide him with playmates to pass the time and help him unwind. Few things in life are better at making you stop taking yourself so seriously than the exuberance of a child and their endless love, no matter how badly you performed during a test.

Then of course, there was Zhou Yu. After meeting his best friend almost ten years prior, they had certainly made a lot of memories. It was always Zhou Yu who could help Ce get his head on straight when his ego overtook him. Yu always had the perfect solution for any tight spot Ce might find himself in with his father. Yu had an appreciation of beauty that for the most part was completely lost on Ce. And of course, Yu always knew how to have fun, and more importantly, how to not get caught.

As he continued his walk, Sun Ce noticed the flutter of red silk and softly spoken voices to his right. Turning in the direction, he found his best friend with Qiao Xiao, Yu's new wife. As one might expect, Ce was thrilled to have his best friend as a family member since Ce had married Xiao's older sister, Da.

Clearing his throat, Ce saw the blushing beauty turn and smile at him. "Hello, brother!" she called out happily before giving him a proper bow.

After taking a moment to smile at his wife's playful nature, Zhou Yu greeted his lord in turn. "My Lord, is there something I can do for you." He gave his normal, respectful bow.

Ce did not speak until he was close to Yu, not trusting his voice to carry. "Actually, something has happened, Yu."

Immediately, Zhou Yu became even more serious than usual as he looked his very tense friend over. "Let us talk."

"I think it's time for tea with my sister," Xiao, noticing the men's desire to talk alone, offered without hesitation. "If you need me, you can find me."

Yu nodded. "That, I certainly can." He briefly watched as his wife walked away to find her sister. Once she was out of earshot, Yu turned his full attention back to his friend. "What has happened, Sun Ce?"

"It's Father," Ce began. "Remember how we have been receiving news lately about the rebellions that are going on all over China?"

Zhou Yu nodded. He well knew of the multitudes of people creating a rebellion all across the country. Wu itself had not been left unscathed. Fortunately, the few rebellions that had broken out had been put down with a minimal loss of life. Unfortunately, most areas outside of Wu had not been so lucky.

"Yes, my Lord. The Yellow Turban Rebellion has been a main topic all about the palace. I have heard what is happening while among the strategists as well as in my political lectures," Zhou Yu elaborated for Sun Ce.

"Well, I doubt you have heard that yesterday, Father received a request from the emperor himself."

"I did hear something about an important letter's arrival, but no one knew what the correspondence contained or even who had sent it."

Ce nodded. "It was a letter requesting Wu to mobilize her troops and join the country's greatest warriors in an effort to end the rebellions once and for all."

"It would be a grave mistake to deny the emperor's request," Yu commented thoughtfully.

"Father thought so, too," Ce agreed. "That's why we are mobilizing by the end of the week."

"Your father has much experience at war and wonderful strategists by his side, I am confident he will return quickly and victorious. He will gain great honor for the Sun family," Yu spoke his thoughts, hoping to comfort the almost trembling Sun Ce.

"I know all that," Ce spoke before pausing to think. "Zhou Yu, my brother, Father wishes that I join him on this quest. He wants me to learn about war from a war."

Zhou Yu froze for a moment as he studied his dear friend's face. Sun Ce was more than a little upset and clearly frightened by the prospect of being in the middle of a war. Giving Ce a reassuring smile, Zhou Yu made up his mind. "In that case, my Lord, I will accompany you. You will need advice. The strategists will have much to teach me-"

"And who better to have on the battlefield than my brother," Sun Ce finished Zhou Yu's sentence. "I would prefer to have you watching my back than a thousand bodyguards!" Ce proclaimed happily.

Yu could not help but chuckle. "I would not go so far as to say that, my Lord."

"Come on, Zhou Yu! You took to swordsmanship like a fish takes to water! Between the two of us no one will stand in our way!" Ce was grinning broadly. "Who knows, Zhou Yu, with you by my side, maybe together, we could conquer the world!"

Ages:

Part 1 – Sun Ce is 6 and Zhou Yu 7.

Part 2 – Sun Ce is 13 and Zhou Yu 14.

Part 3 – Sun Ce is 15 and Zhou Yu 16.

A/N: Well, it seems this is the end. What did you think? Should I try writing more Dynasty Warriors fiction in the future, or stick to the genres I have written in the past? Either way, click that button to review and let me know!


End file.
